Mr Browser and the Mini-Meteorites by Philip Curtis; ill. Tony Ross (Andersen, 1983) Though Spiky Jackson is nominally the protagonist, Curtis treats the entirety of Chivvy Chase School as one communal character. In this instance the alien invasion threat is thwarted due to adult intervention—inherently something of a let-down. Tony Ross’s illustrations add pep.
Tag: Philip Curtis
The Revenge of the Brain Sharpeners
The Revenge of the Brain Sharpeners by Philip Curtis; ill. Tony Ross (Anderson, 1982) This direct sequel lacks the one-against-many tension of the original. The cast is the same but the protagonist viewpoint is diluted and the Brain Sharpeners have become ineffectual background threats, not menacing subverters lurking in the fog. Fun enough but relatively disappointing.
Mr Browser and the Brain Sharpeners
Mr Browser and the Brain Sharpeners by Philip Curtis (Alfred A. Knopf, 1981); audiobook read by Sandi Toksvig (Brilliance, 2014) A perfectly pitched middle grade adventure, pitting 10-year-old Michael Fairlie against egg-headed aliens who want to smarten up and then abduct his classmates. The foggy school oval and pepper-pot spaceships lend an eerie imagery to what otherwise is a fast,…